The Federal Bureaucracy Bureaucracy is a system of organization and control that is based on three principles: Hierarchical authority Job specialization Formalized rules

Max Weber (German sociologist) Concluded bureaucratic efficiency is achieved at a high price. It forces employees to behave as rational actors. In the process, they become insensitive to circumstance. “Specialist without spirit.”

1. Bureaucracy is an inevitable consequence of complexity and scale 2. Bureaucrats naturally take an “agency point of view”, seeking to promote their agency’s program and power. WHY? 3. Although agencies are subject to oversight by the president, Congress, and the judiciary, bureaucrats exercise considerable power in their own right.

Origin and Structure of the Federal Bureaucracy ART 2- The President shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States 1800: small 3,000 employees. Government’s role confined to defense and foreign affairs, currency and interstate commerce and delivery of mail. Grew because of economic growth new demands. 1889 Department of Agriculture 1903: Business and labor interests: Dept. of Commerce and Labor, FDA, National Parks, etc Biggest growth 1930’s FDR New Deal Federal employment has not changed much since 1960’s and the Great Society Programs of LBJ

Cabinet (15 departments ) State oldest, Smallest 25,000 employees--PASSPORTS Dept. of Defense Largest workforce 600,000 civilian employees, 1.4 million service members—ARMY Dept. of Health and Human Services. Largest budget accounts for ¼ of all federal spending on Soc Sec and Medicaid/care Dept. of Homeland Security-newest 2002--SAFETY

have narrow area of responsibility CIA, NASA, EPA Independent Agencies have narrow area of responsibility CIA, NASA, EPA Heads of these agencies are appointed by and report directly to president (not part of a cabinet dept=less red tape)

Regulatory agencies Responsible for monitoring and regulation of ongoing economic activities. SEC Securities and Exchange Commission FTC- Federal Trade Commission FED-Federal Reserve Board They also have a legislative function and a judicial function. Develop law-like regulations and then judge whether individuals or organizations are complying with them (ex. banks, stockbrokers)

. Government Corporations similar to private corporation in that they charge for services but receive federal funding to help defray expenses. Independent of presidential control

Presidential commissions appointed by and provide advice to the president, aka (TASK FORCES) Created as needed, may be disbanded or not Exs. 9/11 Commission, Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future (2010)-did this lead to Iran deal?

Federal Employment SPOILS SYSTEM- President Jackson led to…. 1883 Pendleton Act: established a merit system to fill certain federal govt. positions. 1885 10% of positions, Progressives championed this, by 1920 70% of positions were filled by merit Today 90% of jobs are filled by Civil Service competitive examinations 2.5 million full-time civilian employees Office of Personnel Management and Merit Service protection Board oversees hiring, firing etc. Objective : Neutral competence

Large majority of federal employees have a GS ( Graded Service) Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10 WGI 1 18343 18956 19566 20173 20783 21140 21743 22351 22375 22941 VARIES 2 20623 21114 21797 22629 23295 23961 24627 25293 25959 3 22502 23252 24002 24752 25502 26252 27002 27752 28502 29252 750 4 25261 26103 26945 27787 28629 29471 30313 31155 31997 32839 842 5 28262 29204 30146 31088 32030 32972 33914 34856 35798 36740 942 6 31504 32554 33604 34654 35704 36754 37804 38854 39904 40954 1050 7 35009 36176 37343 38510 39677 40844 42011 43178 44345 45512 1167 8 38771 40063 41355 42647 43939 45231 46523 47815 49107 50399 1292 9 42823 44250 45677 47104 48531 49958 51385 52812 54239 55666 1427 10 47158 48730 50302 51874 53446 55018 56590 58162 59734 61306 1572 11 51811 53538 55265 56992 58719 60446 62173 63900 65627 67354 1727 12 62101 64171 66241 68311 70381 72451 74521 76591 78661 80731 2070 13 73846 76308 78770 81232 83694 86156 88618 91080 93542 96004 2462 14 87263 90172 93081 95990 98899 101808 104717 107626 110535 113444 2909 15 102646 106068 109490 112912 116334 119756 123178 126600 130022 133444 3422

The Hatch Act of 1939 prohibits civil servants from holding key jobs/extending influence in election campaigns including:  The use of official authority or influence to interfere with an election soliciting or discouraging political activity of anyone with business before their agency soliciting or receiving political contributions being candidates for public office in partisan elections engaging in political activity while on duty, in a government office, wearing an official uniform or using a government vehicle Wearing partisan political buttons on duty

Power of Federal Bureaucracy Legislative: Agencies create the rules and regulations needed to perform their duties Executive: Agencies enforce their rules, often after they have had the duty to create the rules Judicial : Agencies rule on regulatory issues and can impose penalties and fines.

Public Control over Bureaucracy Lobby Congress or agency directly or through interest group (strength in numbers) Challenge agency in Court Media-”power of the press” to promote issues and more oversight ex. Tailhook Navy Scandal

How Branches Control the Bureaucracy Executive: Orders and direct agencies to follow presidential directives in enforcing laws Legislative: Controls the purse strings. Through the budgets and enacts new laws that can eliminate an agency/funding Judicial: An agency’s actions can be challenged in court and reduced, overturned and/or eliminated (EPA)